


Late Bloom

by Arwriter



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Logan is mentioned - Freeform, Morality | Patton Sanders is a Sweetheart, Sensory Overload, effects of anxiety, im not projecting you're projecting, sensory issues, virgil is learning to open up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:33:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25300915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arwriter/pseuds/Arwriter
Summary: Virgil is still learning to open up about what he needs to feel safe. He hadn't realized just how eager the others were to help.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders
Comments: 14
Kudos: 187





	Late Bloom

**Author's Note:**

> This is short and sweet and absolutely not me projecting my own issues onto Virge again what are you talking about.

Patton wouldn’t be angry. 

Right? It was stupid to assume that he would be, after all of the kindness he’d shown, after accepting him so readily even before the others had. Virgil wasn’t even sure Patton was  _ capable  _ of feeling anger. 

He wouldn’t be upset with him. Frustrated, maybe. Exasperated at how difficult Virgil was to deal with. Regretting his decision of letting him into the family. But not angry. 

Thinking it through, Virgil thought he might almost prefer anger. 

He glanced up from his coffee, watching as Patton prepared lunch across the kitchen, humming softly to himself as he worked, his smile never wavering. He’d said he enjoyed Virgil’s company, especially now that he was around more often. He’d promised he meant it. 

But what if when- _ if-  _ Virgil decided to say something, Patton ended up being upset with  _ himself.  _ What if Virgil was the reason that smile disappeared? What if he just ruined everything  _ again-- _

“Virge?” Patton called, having paused what he was doing to glance over his shoulder. “You alright, kiddo?” 

“Oh. Uh, yeah.” He took a sip of coffee out of panic, wincing when it turned out to have long since gone cold. “Fine.” 

But that had never been enough to fool Patton, had it? Very few things ever were. 

The moral side frowned, setting down the butter knife in his hand and making his way over to the breakfast bar where Virgil had seated himself, taking in his hunched form and uneasy gaze. 

“What’s going on?” 

Virgil shrugged, staring down at the half-empty coffee mug, refusing to meet Patton’s eyes as the other side took a seat beside him. “It’s stupid.” 

“If it’s bothering you it’s not stupid,” Patton insisted. “You know you can tell your old dad anything, right?” 

Virgil smiled softly at the familiar nickname, hesitating in the tense silence he'd created, wishing the ground would swallow him up forever. 

“It’s just...yesterday morning when I came down for breakfast a little late I was...I had my hood up.” 

He wasn’t exactly sure how he was supposed to continue from there, the words getting lodged in his throat, but Patton didn’t rush him, just watched curiously and waited. 

“I guess, uh...some days things are...too much, if that makes sense. Noises are too loud and- and overwhelming, you know? And uh, and touch. Being touched. When you hugged me yesterday it wasn’t...I don’t want to be, uh...yeah.” 

“Oh.” 

Panic took over at the quiet realization from Patton, and Virgil frantically scrambled to explain. 

“Not like--not like all the time or anything,” he said. “Obviously not, I don’t want you to think...when you guys touch or- or hug me it’s...good. I mean, it’s...I’m not saying I want that to stop.” 

He took a breath to stop his rambling, digging his nails into his hoodie sleeves. God, he was so shit at this. 

“Oh, honey,” Patton said, his voice gentle and understanding and the furthest thing from upset or angry as one could possibly get. “Some days things are too much. That’s completely fine, Virgil.”

Virgil finally glanced up at Patton, relief hitting all at once at the genuine look in the other’s eyes, the kind smile that hadn’t dropped. 

“Yeah,” he muttered. “It’s still dumb. I didn’t...want to upset you or anything.” 

“I’m not upset. I promise. I should have known to check with you about any sensory issues, Logan told us you might deal with those sometimes.” 

Virgil blinked, glancing behind him like the logical side would rise up at the sound of his own name. “He...told you guys--?” 

It was Patton’s turn to look uneasy, fiddling absently with his cardigan and dropping his gaze, smile turning sheepish. 

“Uh, yeah,” he said. “The three of us have been...well, Logan would call it researching, I suppose.” 

“Researching?” 

“Effects of anxiety,” Patton explained, now looking everywhere except Virgil. “I hope you don’t mind! But we noticed lately that you don’t just cause anxiety but you also...you know, suffer from it. We just...wanted to figure out how to help. Or make it easier at least.” 

And Virgil...didn’t know what to say to that. He was still new to this, the whole being a part of the family thing, being accepted, being one of the good guys. At the very least, he’d expected to be able to walk into the kitchen without getting any glares. 

But they’d done so much more than that. They’d gone out of their way for him, making him feel safe and welcome as much as they could, making up for lost time. 

And now they were voluntarily spending time to learn how to make him feel more at ease. To learn how to help him. 

Nobody had ever done that before. He’d never imagined that anyone would. 

Unfortunately, Patton took his stunned silence the completely wrong way. 

“We...probably should have asked first,” he said quickly. “We didn’t want to intrude or anything, I’m really sorry if it--” 

“No!” Another time, he might have been embarrassed over how desperate he sounded, but the hope in Patton’s eyes overshadowed any of that. “No- I mean, it’s...I just didn’t expect you guys to...to  _ want  _ to do that.”

The moral side’s worried frown morphed quickly back into a bright smile. “Of course we want to, silly! You’re family, we gotta take care of you!” 

And...wow. He loved them. He loved them all so much, and for the first time, he knew he could show them without rejection. He was part of them now. They wanted him. 

And he’d do anything for them. 

“Thank you,” he said instead, knowing Patton would understand what was left unspoken. “Thank you, Patton.” 

“You got it, kiddo. So...days when we see you with your hood up we’ll give you your space and keep it quiet around you. We can keep the lights dimmed too if it’ll help.” 

“I...yeah,” Virgil agreed, chest light and eyes embarrassingly wet. “That’d be good. If that’s ok.” 

“If it helps you, it’s more than ok, Virgil. Always.” 

Patton stood and stepped away from the breakfast bar, offering another easy smile, and Virgil steeled himself to speak up again.

“Today isn’t like that,” he said quickly, forcing himself not to shrink away when Patton turned back to him. “I feel fine today. I’m...I don’t have a problem with- with touch. Or anything.” 

And Patton understood immediately, because of course he did, and in an instant Virgil was being pulled into a hug, letting himself sink into the familiar warmth and safety, allowing himself to indulge in the knowledge that as long as he had his family, it would all be ok in the end. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> author is sleepy and strugglin with anxiety send help.


End file.
